A or '''cult icon''' is a person who attracts the attention of a small band of aficionados. Some cult figures are well-known to the general public ( Andy Warhol , Christopher Walken ) while others are mostly obscure outside of a Subculture ( Ed Wood Jr. , Vanessa Duriès ).
In most of the cases, the work of a cult figure is unusual or exists outside current trends in his or her field. Thus, his or her appeal is limited to only a small group.
Although most cult figures are artists and entertainers who are genuinely recognized for their talent, others gain a following mostly for strange behavior ( Wesley Willis , Ellen Feiss ) or particularly memorable 15 Minutes Of Fame ( William Hung , Clara Peller )
The term cult figure is difficult to define and different people may or may not qualify as cult figures by different standards.
The term usually refers to someone who is admired by a small group of fans and not by the general public or at least not for the same reasons he or she is admired by the general public. For example, Christopher Walken and Crispin Glover are both known for their Acting abilities to the general public but to their Cult Following s, Walken is better known for his recognizable mannerisms and Glover for his strange behavior.
The term usually does not refer to a person who is both a widely celebrated figure in culture at large and the object of the acute interest of many dedicated fans, such as Johnny Cash , J.D. Salinger or George Lucas . The term also usually does not refer to a widely significant figure who is particularly important to a Subculture , such as Madonna in Gay Culture or John Lennon in Hippie and neo-hippie culture.
In some cases, a cult following is so large or so infamous that the figure becomes a household name. Examples include The Grateful Dead , Bruce Lee and Elvira . Still these people are usually considered cult figures because a relatively small group of fans are responsible for their fame.
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- André The Giant - 6 foot, 10 inch actor and Professional Wrestler dubbed the "eighth Wonder Of The World ," also the inspiration of the Street Art campaign André The Giant Has A Posse
- Bruce Campbell - self-proclaimed B-movie actor, known for dropping memorable One-liner s as Ash in the Comedy / Horror Film '' The Evil Dead '' and its Sequel s
- Mara Corday - Playboy Magazine Centerfold and Earl Carroll Showgirl who became a "B-movie" actress in the 1950s
- Zbigniew Cybulski - actor known as the "Polish James Dean "
- Divine - Drag Queen who starred in many underground films of John Waters
- Crispin Glover - Actor, director and general Renaissance Man known for his eccentric behavior
- Bruce Lee - Slim, well-toned Chinese American actor and Martial Art ist who has become the most recognizable icon of Martial Arts Film s
- Traci Lords - Infamous underage Porn Star who went on to act in several non-pornographic Cult Film s
- and its film sequels. He is also known for his often mismanaged and bizarre attempts to advance his profile beyond his best-known role, including his much-satirized Singing Career
- Mr. T - Mohawked , Jewelry -studded 1980s icon best known from the Television series '' The A-Team '' and the film '' Rocky III ,'' in which he said the ubiquitous catch phrase "I pity the fool." He also appeared in several Kitsch y educational videos in which he strangely kept-up his "tough guy" tone.
- in a series of Women In Prison Films , currently an ordained Minister
- Christopher Walken - Widely respected film actor known for his slow intonation, intense gaze and droll sense of humor, winner of Mutant Viewers ' 2005 Cult Lifetime Achievement Award {Link without Title}
- Adam West - actor known for playing Batman in the Campy 1960s Television Series and for his willingness to make odd Meta-reference s to his best-known role and inability to escape its shadow, including his portrayal of “Mayor Adam West” on the animated series '' Family Guy .''
- Syd Barrett - Original Pink Floyd front man and Psych Folk artist known for his gleeful, childlike songs; strange behavior and eventual Mental Breakdown
- The Grateful Dead - Long-running, Psychedelic Rock band known for their Improvisational Live Shows . They have become symbols of the Hippie lifestyle, especially to those who have embraced it long after it was fashionable.
- Roky Erickson - Singer/songwriter known for his fervent, growling vocals and abrasive musical techniques as leader of The 13th Floor Elevators and as a solo artist, also known for his reclusive lifestyle and erratic behavior
- Kool Keith - Prolific Rapper and Hip-hop producer, known for his complex, Stream-of-consciousness verbal flow, raunchy lyrics, multiple onstage personas, and eccentric behavior
- William Hung - Chinese American college student who developed a cult following after he performed an off-key rendition of Ricky Martin ’s " She Bangs " while auditioning for the television series '' American Idol .''
- Jandek - Downbeat Texas -based singer-songwriter known for, until recently, his carefully kept autonomy and extreme mysteriousness
- Morrissey - Activist, poet and former lead singer of The Smiths , known for droll, sardonically humorous lyrics
- The Residents - Costumed, Avant-garde quartet that has maintained complete anonymity for over two decades.
- John Stewart - genre-defying American songwriter, known for his work in Folk , Rock , Alternative and Country music
- Swans - Industrial Rock band known for their bleak lyrics, diverse styles and for concerts so loud they caused audience members to vomit and the police to break stop their performances. Their style has been described as a "wall of noise" and "the most aggressive music on earth".
- Tiny Tim - Six-foot tall, red-haired, Falsetto -voiced singer and Ukulele -player, called “master of the disturbing.”
- Wesley Willis - 350 lb., six-foot-tall Schizophrenic who recorded thousands of simplistic, repetitive and often obscene songs using the prerecorded backing music of his Keyboards {Link without Title}
- Frank Zappa - Sardonic and offbeat Guitar ist, songwriter and composer. Although his music was often unconventional, Zappa is considered an extremely ambitious and versatile musician.
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